The inappropriate growth of a variety of organisms has been a problem for many years. Unicellular and multi-cellular organisms have caused degradation of natural product materials, infection in humans and other animals, spoilage of foods, chemical degradation of synthetic materials. Micro and macroorganisms have also been known to foul surfaces in aqueous marine and production environments. Such growth can result in the failure of the attached substrate to properly perform in their intended use locus and further may lead to infection and disease within mammals.
Antimicrobial agents have been combined with film-forming polymeric materials and have been used in the absence of a polymeric carrier, for example, chlorguanide, [1-(p-chlorophenyl)-5-isopropyl biguanide has been used as an antimalarial agent. Similarly, chlorhexadene, [1,1'-hexamethylenebis-5-para-p-chlorophenyl biguanide] is well known as a topical antiseptic.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,436 discloses bacterial resistant latexes that incorporate alpha,alpha'-azobis(chloroformamadine). U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,837 discloses polymeric vinyl halides having improved resistance to deterioration caused by fungal and bacterial attack, which incorporate copper 8-quinolinolate into the polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,516 discloses a spray-on bandage material using acrylate or methacrylate polymers that may contain germicides or fungicides. Phenols and thiophenols are well-known antimicrobial agents and have been incorporated into polymeric compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,097 discloses the incorporation of phenolic compounds into polymers comprising heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. These polymers are typically used to render fabrics resistant to fungi and insect attack. U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,263 discloses an antibacterial polymeric resin used for fabricating plastic articles. These resins are formed by polymerizing an unsaturated monomer such as an alkyl acrylate in the presence of certain aromatic phenols or phenolic analogs.
Compositions intended for the controlled release of a disinfectant from a film of stabilized hydrophilic polymer are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,902. The polymer complexes are stabilized as a metal complex by the addition of an inorganic aluminum, zirconium or zinc salt, such as aluminum chlorhydro, to the polymerization mixture. The stabilization adjuvant is necessary because, upon contact with water, such films of simple hydrogels become highly swollen and rapidly elute their additives. Further, dry films, both simple and metal complexed hydrogels, do not adhere well to ceramic and other hard surfaces and can lose their adhesion completely when wetted.
The incorporation of various biocides into polymeric base material either by mixing, physical entrapment, ionic complexation, or copolymerization has as yet not satisfactorily addressed the problem of providing polymeric compositions capable of potent prolonged antimicrobial action without significant release of toxic materials.
Therefore, a continuing need exists for an antimicrobial composition capable of producing an ongoing biodegradable biocidal agent in sufficient concentration to provide a surface substantially free of organisms.